CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10270

No, this is not a title of a movie that I am aware of. No, its not about a story, either. I really like the movie Dirty Harry. Its entertaining to me on so many levels beyond the storyline and the lead actor. The time period, as it is represented, is what I would call interestingly depressing.

Its a 100% analog world without much of the ladder-days of analog benefits. Stop and thing for a minute. There is not satellite television or even cable television. No FM radio (at least not in stereo). No home computers or video gaming consoles. No Internet, and certainly no Universal Resource Locator. Probably the most impressive piece of equipment you might find in the home around 1971 would have been a fax machine--but I doubt that, too.

And there are more of those depressing things that technology brings up today and we take for granted. Things like frost-free refrigerators and home insulation, are good examples. Heck, even the VCR as a niche boutique item came later if memory serves me correctly. These are things I call depressing, but the period was just as interesting to me as it was sad.

For instance, the opening scene of the bank heist (or store robbery) shows some of the best cars of the times, and in pristine condition. It also shows the retail shops as they existed, their idea of 'marketing', and how people managed to live with what they didn't know would be coming in the next 10-25 years.

Probably the one thing most guys would be thankful for is the original toilet. Yessir, no constraint on the 1.6GPF scenario here. A man could be a man in his own home knowing his toilet would like his throne. Mr. Green

Of course, I feel the same way about movies in older times, but 1971 is a year I lived in and existed--somehow.

Nashou66 · Joined: 12 Jan 2007 Posts: 16171 Location: West Seneca NY

And cash was King!!!! Not much in the world of Credit Cards which even though a must today has cause most of the problems we now live with. So that priode could also be looked and as a happy time too in that respect.

Athanasios

MikeEby · Joined: 24 Jun 2007 Posts: 5237 Location: Osceola, Indiana

I think it's very nicely photographed some of the wide shots of San Francisco are great. A 4:3 cropped image on TV never did it justice. I have on Laser Disk and DVD I'll probably pop for the Blu-ray soon.

Mike

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12088 Location: Fort Collins, CO

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10270

aspec2 · Joined: 10 Apr 2006 Posts: 549

I had stereo radio in San Francisco in 1971. My friend had it in his car. In fact, if I remember correctly, KPEN broadcast stereo FM in the 60s. I had a frost free refrigerator then too. But you are right. The cars were the highlight of the time. Emission regulations were in it infancy. You could afford to drive a muscle car with gas at or below $0.35 a gallon.

You could still buy a house in California for less than 40K.

BTW Wan, Carol Dodda had implants in the early sixties. Damned if I can remember the club she danced in. It was at the corner of Columbus and Broadway I think. Put topless on the map in San Francisco.

You could live pretty well on 15K per year.

Walt

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10270

Ok, admittedly I did not do any research on this facet of time. I simply went on childhood experiences. Heck, just the thought of no Internet, computers or gaming consoles, no cable or satellite, no CDs or DVDs (or Blu-ray disks), etc. etc. make the world as it is for this adult.

Not too sure what percentage of automobiles on the road or radios in one's possession were FM, or what percentage of women had augmented topsides, but I'm betting it was a minority.

JustGreg · Joined: 07 Mar 2006 Posts: 3098 Location: Kenosha, WI

In '70 I had one of the first quasi boom boxes. It was relatively small, had an AM/FM radio, and played 45's via a way ahead of it's time close and play design like the Sega Genesis. The beast took 8 D cell batteries! Shocked

Drop the 45 on the spindle, close the plastic cover with the needle built in, and off it went. Not good at all for jogging...tho I could probably take credit for inventing rap scratching. Mr. Green

As far as that era being depressing?....I was too young to take notice of that facet of life. I was only 13 in '71 so it was all good. The skies were always blue, and it never rained. My life consisted of a cycle of Christmas', all no-school holidays, birthdays, and summer vacations. If I compare anything; and feel any sense of loss, it's aging. Man I could zip up a tree like a monkey. Now I stand at the base of a tall tree and look up and mutter, "Yup. It's a big one alright." Laughing

aspec2 · Joined: 10 Apr 2006 Posts: 549

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10270

emdawgz1 · Joined: 14 Mar 2006 Posts: 7949

What always amazes me is how the attitude toward cities on the 70's was, and how it was shown on film. NY, SF, LA etc
Cities were always shown as dark dangerous places... its very weird to me. DH was the same way.

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10270

Hmm, I didn't get that vibe. In fact, I looked at the green grass (drought anyone?), my ability to see far off to the mountains, etc.

The scene in which the crazy pays someone to beat him up is no different than parts of the city I grew up in. I didn't think much of it except maybe the older, commercial/industrial parts common to older cities.